E-Parliament A Necessity, Not Option – National Assembly Clerk

The National Assembly has emphasized the need to adopt digital technology to enhance its lawmaking and parliamentary processes.

Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, stated this at a three-day retreat organized by the National Assembly in collaboration with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, PLAC

“It was supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) with the theme “Building an Accountable, Transparent and Resilient Parliament; the role of the National Assembly Top Management”.

According to Mr Ogunlana, embracing e-parliament practices is no longer an option but a necessity.

He highlighted the benefits of digital technology, including reduced paperwork, remote participation, and increased public access to parliamentary proceedings.

He noted that, the theme of the retreat resonates deeply with the challenges and opportunities in the ever-evolving National Assembly Service landscape which he said presents a vital opportunity to reflect, strategize, and lay actionable plans that will shape the future of the National Assembly Service.

“It is essential to recognise that the National Assembly Service is dynamic and continually facing new challenges and at the same time opening up fresh opportunities.

“Our agenda in this retreat is not limited to addressing these challenges and exploring new areas that lie ahead of us but to create innovative team building plans to harness our human assets.

“Embracing digital technology is not an option, but a necessity. As a parliament, it is high time we upgraded our practices and processes in line with the concept of E- Parliament.”

“I am mindful that the integration of digital technologies into the parliamentary process in Nigeria was delayed because the repealed Evidence Act, which was enacted in June 1945, prohibited the admission of computer-generated evidence in Nigeria courts. The new Evidence Act 2004 has removed this obstacle.

“Therefore, there should not be any hesitation to integrate digital technology in parliamentary practices and processes. Failure to integrate digital technology in parliamentary practices and processes exposes us to the risk of another shutdown of parliament, as was experienced during the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019 and the consequent lockdown in 2020.”

“The National Assembly should be intentional in adopting the concept of E-Parliament because this reduces paperwork, allows lawmakers to participate in sessions and vote without being physically present, gives members of the public access to parliamentary proceedings, documents and records online, makes tracking by the Management of legislative processes including the drafting, debating and amendment of bills easier. We must deliberate on the implementation strategies that will bring this vision to life at a minimal cost.

“Parliaments worldwide prioritize security, that is why they are allowed to establish and manage their own in-house security outfits which are called Sergeant-At-Arms in most Commonwealth countries. It is concerning that unauthorized persons access the National Assembly Complex unabated because of the growing challenges of insecurity. “

“This development is unacceptable considering the security risk it poses to the complex, lawmakers, staff, and visitors. I urge you to come out with innovative ideas or mechanisms for regulating access control and identification processes with a view to enhancing security within the National Assembly complex. ” Ogunlana said

In his address, the Deputy Clerk, Bashir Yero, said that the world is evolving and the National Assembly should not be left behind.

“We will delve into best practices, challenges, and innovative solutions that can enhance accountability, transparency, and resilience within our National Assembly.” Yero said

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji